Electroplating apparatus



Filed Feb.

20. 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 N R ho 9n w ATTORNEU Nov. 27, 1923. 1,475,198

L. POTTHOFF ELECTROPLATING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 20. 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 TTORNE Y5 Nov. 27 1923.

L. POTTHOFF ELECTROPLATTNG APPARATUS Filed Feb.

20. 1920 I5 Sheets-Sheet 3 m? 6;; Yew

ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 27, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-*CE.

LOUIS POTTHOFF, DECEASED; BY HAMILTON TRUST COMPANY, EX ECUTOB, A COB- PORATION 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ELECTROPLATING APPARATUS.

Application filed February 20, 1920. Serial No. 360,244.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that IIAMILTON TnUs'r Con- PANY, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of New York, having a place of business at Brooklyn. in the county of Kings, in the State of New York, executor of the last will and testament of LOUIS Po'rrnorr, late a citizen of the United States, deceased, is possessed of an invention of said LOUIS PO'I'IHOFF comprising new and useful Improvements in Electroplating Apparatus. of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electroplating apparatus and the object of the invention is to provide or plating a series of articles passing through the apparatus in continuous succession.

Another object of the invention is to combine with the plating operation a cleaning operation so that the two operations cooperate together to aid each other and produce a solid coating firmly adhering to the article.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus especially adapted for articles of substantially circular form. like wheel rims, and preferably constructed to move a plurality of rows of such articles continuously through the machine so that a large number of pieces may be simultaneously handled.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 show in side elevation successive sections of a cleaning and plating apparatus embodying the invention;

Figs. 4, and 6 are plan views of successive sections of the apparatus corresponding respectively to the side elevations of Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view of the apparatus taken on the line 7-7 of Figs. 2 and 5.

In the specific embodiment of the invention herein disclosed the apparatus is adapt ed to clean and plate automobile wheel rims and comprises successive cleaning and plating tanks 1, 2 and 3 with the interposed washing tanks 4 and 5 and the final washing tanks 6 and 7 through which a number of parallel rows of rims are carried in contin-.

uous succession by suitable conveying means. In the drawings only one row of rims are shown being conveyed through the machine,

the showing of the rims in the remaining rows being omitted.

At one end of the machine is located an automatic table feed comprising endless belts 10 of flexible material carried by rollers 11 and 12 and provided with cross strips 13 on which are set transverse rows of rims as shown. To sustain the rims in upright position tracks or guides 14 are provided above the conveyor and leading to the first clean ing or pickling tank 1 toward which the article is moved by the conveyor.

From the preliminary feeding means the articles are discharged onto the lower tracks or channel rails 15 extending down into and through the tank 1. The upper guiding tracks or rails 14 being extended, as at 16, parallel to the lower supporting rail 15. In order to convey the articles along the tracks 15 and between the guides 16 conveyors 17 are provided comprising endless chains 18 carrying spaced projections or pins 19 engaging the articles and moving them through the tank 1. The chains 18 are driven by sprockets 20 mounted on transverse shafts 21.

In the first tank 1 the articles are submitted to a cleaning or pickling action of a suitable solution. such as dilute sulfuric acid, which loosens and cleans away the scale. The supporting tracks 15 are inclined downwardly from the entrance end of the tank so that the rims will be rolled through the tank by gravity. The conveyor pins 19 raise the articles out of the tank 1 and onto the ineline along which they roll to be received on the arms 26 of wheels 27 of transverse shaft 28. By these wheels 27 the rims supported by tracks 30 and guides 31 are fed through the washing tank 4 supplied with water to -remove the pickling solution and loosen the scale from the rims.

From the washing tank 4 the articles are discharged along incline 33 into the second cleaning tank 2. In this tank the rims are supported in upright position by lower channel rails 34 and upper guides 35 and are moved through the tank by conveyor pins '36 on chains 37 similar to the conve ors of tank 1. The cleaner in tank 2 is a so ution of alkali, such as caustic soda, and this cleaner may be combined with a preliminary plating such as a cop or strike deposited electrically on the art1c e.

caustic so a six parts, soda as When the combined cleaning and platin operations are to be carried on in this tan the supporting means for the articles are provided with current conducting means in contact with the articles and serving to col lect electroplating current from the articles as they pass through the solution. These current conducting or cathode members are preferably strips or bars 40 set in the side faces of guides and strips 41 set in the corners of the lower channel rail 34 may also be used or ma be used alone. The supporting and gui in means are preferably so arranged that t e weight of the articles tends to hold them in positive and continuous contact with the cathode strip or strips. For instance in Fig. 7 the rims running in strips 41 tend to tip against strips and a definite inclination may be provided to increase this effect. The current is conducted into the solution throu h anodes 43 hung on the anode bars 44. T e solution adapted for this combined cleaning and plating action comprises the cleaning and plating chemicals in suitable proportions. The following ingredients have been found eflicient in action to produce a prelimina cleaning and a co per strike: six parts, aluminum silicate one part, sodium cyanide one part, copper cyanide one part to one hundred and twenty-eight parts of water. The temperature of the solution may be varied to control the speed of the operation, the same efiectbeing obtained in one minute at a temperature of 180 F. that is obtained in six minutes at a temperature of 50 F. With these various in edients and the electroplating at the disc ar e end of the tank the article is first t oroughly cleaned and then immediately plated. The caustic soda acts as a cleaner on the steel and the soda ash acts directly on the grease while the aluminum silicate prevents the conversion of the soda and greases into a soap. At the same time the three ingredients offer an ideal combination for the generation of gas by which means the inert material is thrown oil leavin a chemically clean surface. Onthis sar lace there is immediately secured a deposit of the metal carried in the solution which in the above example is c0pper. A brass deposit may also be secured by adding zinc carbonate to the solution or a. zinc deposit by using an insoluble anode and feedin the zinc in the solution by means of zinc sa ts. The caustic in the solution would decompose the metallic zinc too readily to secure plating direct from the anodes. The electric current used in the plating operation not only deposits the preliminary coating or strike but at the same time will act also to electrically clean thearticles from such foreign matter as may have survived the previous cleaning operations. The combined actions in this tank may, therefore, comprise chemical cleaning, electrical cleaning and plating. a

The solution may be used as an electric cleaner without the strike by omitting the anodes and the metal supplying salts, the subequent galvanizing bein secured in a solution of zinc cyanide an it is apparent that the cleaning and strike solutions may be placed in separate tanks. From the tank 2 the article is carried to the wash tank 5 and there passed through washing water by means similar in all respects to that provided for washing tank 4 and is then carried on to the electroplating or galvanizing tank 3. In this tank the rims are supported by lower channel track 50 and upper guides 51. The guides 51 or the lower track 50 or both may be provided with the conductor or cathode strips 52 in position to contact with the rims and collect the plating current therefrom. Between the rows of articles are hung the zinc anode plates 55 supplying material and current to the solution so that the electroplating circuit is from these anodes through the solution to the rims and thence to the cathode conductor strips 52. The articles are moved through the tank 3 by the projections 57 on chains 58 runnin around sprockets 59 on shafts 60 and 61, t e whole forming conveying means similar to that described in connection with tank 1. From the plating tank 3 the articles are carried through the .washing tank 6 and hot water wash 7 by supporting and conveying means in all respects similar to that described in connection with washing tank 4, the conveying means of the final hot water wash delivering the rims out of the machine cleaned, plated and drying. Where the character of the article makes it desirable dr ing means may be added to or substituted or the final hot water wash.

The upper conductor strips may be positioned in or out of the solution; the length of the tank 3 and the rate of progress of the rims through it will be arranged to produce the desired deposit and the length of the other tanks 1 and 2 will be made accordingly. Any suitable driving means for the various conveyors may be resorted to. The driving power may be a plied at one point to the intermediate sha t 28 and carried toward the entrance end of the machine by the chain .63, conveyor chains 18 and chain 64 and toward the discharge end of the machine by chain 65 and conveyor chains 37. Power may also be applied to the shaft 61 through sprocket 67 and drive the conveyor chains 58 and the conveyors of the final washing tanks through chains 69 and 70.

The current to the tanks 2 and 3 ma be supplied in any desired manner as by aving machines providing special current for each tank with rheostat control. In Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic representation of a single generator G having a double armature winding n'ving for instance six volts for each winding and commutated to produce a thre wire system. With switch 71 closed and switch 72 0 n the voltage of one winding is lIIllO between the terminals of tank 2. ith switch 72 closed and switch 71 open the sum of voltages of both windings are imposed across the terminals. Similarly by switches 71 and 72' the voltr a es on the terminals of tank 3 may be varied and it is apparent, therefore, that without loss of power in rheostats the voltage through tanks 2 and 3 may be widely varied.

By this apparatus the article rolls through the machine on a direct and continuous supporting track and is guided by the upper rails against which it will normally lean. These upper ide rails ma be positioned below the sur ace of the liquid where this is desirable and it is obvious that the apparatus will rmit wide variation in the sizes of the articles being handled. By arranging a number of these conveyln rows alongside of each other to carry a p urality of lines of articles through the machine the capacity of the apparatus is greatly increased. The same driving means is used for all the conveyors and each of the intermediate guidin strips serves to support the rims on each si e of 1t. The a paratus handles a large number of rims s multaneously and continuously and onl a few workmen are necessary to tend to e plating operation.

It is evident that the invention ma be adapted to handle other articles than t ose specifically shown. The invention is not restricted to the particular embodiments illustrated, but is intendedto include such variations thereof as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim 1. In an ap aratus for electroplating flat circular artices, the combination with a plurality of supporting tracks, guides estending v ralle to said tracks to sustain the artic e in upright ition, and conveying means for continuously rolling a number of parallel rows of articles along said tracks and between $39 guides.

2. In ap ratus for ectroplating flat circular articles the combination with su porting means tor sustaining the article in upright osition, of conveyin means for rolling t e article along said supporting means and cathode contact strips on opposite sides of said .supporting meansto contact with the article on either side.

3. In cleaning and plating apparatus, the combination of a series of tanks, of' a continuous supporting trackway passing through said tanks and into and out of each tank, guides parallel to said trackwiay, and conveyin means for moving the article to be plated through said tanks along said trac way and between said guides.

4. In electroplating apparatus, the combination with a tank, of a supporting trackway extending through said tank and adapted to guide the article into and out of said tank, and cathode contact strips on said supporting means for collecting current from said articles during only a part of the? travel through the electrolyte in said tan 5. The process of cleaning and electroplating, comprising treating an article with an alkali cleaning solution and then electroplating the artlcle' without removing it from the cleaning solution.

6. The process of cleaning and plating comprising treating an article with alkali solution comprising caustic soda and then electroplating the article without removing it from th cleaning solution.

7. The process of cleaning and plating, comprising cleaning the article with a solution comprising caustic soda and soda ash. and then electroplating the article without removing it from the cleaning solution.

8. The process of cleaning and platingan article which comprises cleaning the article with a solution comprising caustic soda and soda ash and aluminum silicate and then electroplating the article without removing it from the cleaning solution.

9. The process of cleaning and plating which comprises cleaning the article jar-an .alkali solution containing a cyanide of'the metal to be deposited and then electroplating the article without removing it from the cleaning solution.

10. In an electroplating apparatus, the combination with a series of tanks, of means for supplying a series of separate articles to said tanks and conveying them therethrough and comprising an endless conveyor feeding the articles to the first tank, a substantially continuous trackway extending through all of said tanks, and conveying means for moving the articles along said trackway and through said tanks.

11. In apparatus comprising a series of successive tanks, the combination with a number of tracks arranged side by side and passing through said tanks, of guides above said tracks forming a plurality of passageways, and conveying means or moving a number of parallel rows of articles along said tracks.

12. In'-appaiiituscom rising a series of successive tanks, a trac passing throu h each of said tanks and gulding the artic e out of each tank and into the next, of guiding means above said track supporting the article in upright position, and-"conveying means moving the article through each of said tanks and discharging it into a following tank.

13. In apparatus for electroplating flat circular articles, the combination with guiding and supporting means for the article extending through said tank, of a conveyor for rolling the articles through said guiding means, and cathode contact strips on opposite faces of said guiding means to contact with the article on either side.

14. In an apparatus for treating circular articles, the combination with a tank adapted to contain a liquid, of means for conveying articles through said tank in continuous succession com rising-a supporting trackway inclined ownwardly toward the discharge end of the tank to feed the articles through the tank by gravity.

15. In an apparatus for treating circular articles, the combination with a tank adapted to contain a liquid, of means for conveying articles through said tank in continuous succession comprising a supporting trackway inclined downwardly toward the discharge end of the tank to feed the articles through the tank by gravity, and a continuous conveyor having spacing arms adapted to move between the articles along said ti'ut'kWil).

16. The process of electroplating, comprising. imm rsing the article in a cleaning solution and passing an electric current through the article and then electroplating the cleaned surface.

17. The process of cleaning and electroplating, comprising treating an article with a cleanin solution and then electroplating the artic e without removing it from the cleaning solution.

18. The process of cleaning and electroplating, comprising immersing an article in a solution consisting of cleaning ingredients and the salt of the metal to be deposited, passing anelectric current through said article while in said solution to clean said article and immediately secure a deposit thereon without removing the article from the solution.

19. The process of cleaning and electroplating, comprising immersing an article in a solution containing cleaning ingredients and a salt of the metal to be deposited, then after the article has been immersed for a certain length of time passing an electric current through said article while in the'solution to electrically clean the surface and immediately secure the deposition of the coating on the clean surface.

20. The process of cleaning an article preparatory to electroplating it, comprising mmersing the article in a cleaning solution and after the article has been immersed in the solution for a certain length of time passing electric current through the article to further clean the surface thereof.

21. In electroplating apparatus, the combination with a plurality of tanks, of means for supporting articles in said tanks in contact with the cathode terminals, anodes in said tanks, and means for supplying electric current to the articles in said tanks comprising a three wire system whereby the current in each of said tanks may be widely varied without rheostat resistance in the electric circuits.

22. In apparatus for electrically treating articles the combination with a containing means for a fluid, of supporting and guidin means for carrying articles through said fluid and adapted to continuously incline said articles in one direction into contact with an electrical conductor.

In electroplating apparatus, the combination with a tank, of a supporting trackway extending through said tank and adapted to guide the articles into and out of said tank, and cathode contact strips on said supporting means .for collecting current from said articles during only a part of their travel through the electrolyte in said tank, said trackway and strips being arranged to tip said articles into continuous contact with said strips.

HAMILTON TRUST COMPANY, As Executor 0 Louis Potthofl', Deceased,

By GEO.H DEN,

Vice President.

DISCLAIM ER l,475,]98.--Lows Potthofl, deceased, b Hamilton Tnwt Company, executor, a cororation of Brooklyn, N. Y. nnc'rnormrms Armm'ma. Patent dated ovember 27, 1923. Disclaimer filed July 11, 1939, by the assigneo, U. S. Galvanizing d: Plating Equipment Corporation. Herelg' enters this disclimer of claims 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21.

[ finial Gazette August 8, 1989.1 

